2018-19 Youth Advisory Board

Meet The Board

The effort to lower the voting age to 16 must be guided by the very young people it aims to enfranchise, and energy among this population is crucial to moving the cause forward. The Youth Advisory Board ensures the voices of young people are at the front and center as this campaign gains momentum. The board is comprised of young people who have worked or are currently working to lower the voting age in their respective cities. Board members provide crucial input to the national campaign, engage other young people in the cause, and work to elevate youth voices. Meet the current members below, organized alphabetically by first name.

A.J. Hessburg

St. Louis, MO

Bio

My name is A.J. Hessburg and I’m a high school senior from St. Louis, Missouri. Vote16USA is important to me because my generation will feel the impact of the decisions made today more than any other. We deserve a say in what our future will be.

Alik Schier

Washington, D.C.

Bio

Alik got involved with Vote16DC and Vote16USA in February of 2018, and believes it is time for his voice to be heard when it comes to local policy making. He knows that decisions elected officials make influence his and his peers’ lives every day, and wants to make sure young people are involved in those decisions. Alik is looking forward to inspiring a new generation of young people who are the future leaders of this country. When he’s not working on Vote16, Alik works for a Kombucha company and as a Peer Educator for sexual health.

Daisy Villalva

New York

Bio

Daisy Villalva is a 18 year old incoming college freshman at Binghamton University in New York. Her involvement in Vote16USA began during her senior year in high school through an in-class Generation Citizen project, where her class worked on lowering the voting age by advocating for the Young Voter Act. Daisy is politically engaged in her local government and will continue to advocate for the importance of voting on her college campus.

Eliana Valenzuela

Boulder, CO

Bio

Eliana is a junior at Fairview High School in Boulder, CO. She advocates for Vote16Boulder through her work with the city’s Youth Opportunities Advisory Board.

Felix Andam

San Francisco, CA

Bio

Felix is a high school sophomore in San Francisco and is a member of the city’s Youth Commission.

Jason Chen

San Francisco, CA

Bio

Jason is a high school sophomore from San Francisco, CA. He is passionate about lowering the voting age to 16 and is interested in politics and government.

Jenny Gonzalez

Washington, D.C.

Bio

Jenny Gonzalez is a 17-year-old who has been part of the Vote16 campaign since fall 2017. She is passionate about lowering the voting age because she believes that it would better the community. Being born in DC helps her understand the local issues she cares about. She believes that lowering the voting age would allow the youth of the city to have a greater voice in their community.

Joshua Park

San Francisco, CA

Bio

I joined the Vote16SF campaign when I was a freshman in high school, and I worked with the campaign from December 2015 through November of 2016 when the local ballot proposition just lost by about 2 points. Since then I went on to be a San Francisco Youth Commissioner and will be interning there this year. I am currently very excited to be working as a member of Vote 16 USA’s Youth Advisory Board and reviving our local Vote16SF campaign. Outside of politics I enjoy going to church and swimming.

Margot Schocket-Greene

Northampton, MA

Bio

Margot Schocket-Greene is 16 and a senior at Northampton High School in Massachusetts. She is the chair of the Northampton Mayor’s Youth Commission and has been working on lowering the voting age in her city for 2 years. Margot is passionate about lowering the voting age because she believes that 16-year-olds are incredibly active and deserve representation. She is very excited to be a part of the Vote16USA community.

Mariam Khan

New York

Bio

Mariam Khan is from New York and a 17-year-old freshman at Brooklyn College. She became interested in politics and activism at the age of 11. Her involvement in lowering the voting age started in 2017 through Generation Citizen and the Young Voter Act, a bill proposed to the New York State Assembly. Lowering the voting age will save our democracy as elected officials will pay attention to 16 and 17 year olds and young teens will get the power to influence the government and decision that affect their lives. Mariam is excited for the future of her involvement in this work!

Melina Fike

Berkeley, CA

Bio

Melina is a senior at Berkeley High School. She has began advocating for lowering the voting age in Berkeley school board elections in 2016 and is now leading high school voter registration drives among other activities.

Micah Carter

Washington, D.C.

Bio

My name is Micah Carter. I am a 16 year old from Washington, D.C. I am a junior in high school and primarily focused on a career in finance and business. I am a part of the Vote16DC campaign and I am interested in this because I am firm believer that everyone deserves to be heard and acknowledged, no matter how young or old.

Pooja Patel

Illinois

Bio

Pooja Patel is a 17-year-old senior at Northside College Prep in Chicago. Her involvement with civic engagement began with joining the political outreach committee for Vote16 Illinois. She believes that lowering the voting age is the key to empowering a generation of civically-engaged young people. She also works with her local neighborhood organization and on various local campaigns.

QueSton Bell

Washington, D.C.

Bio

QueSton is a student and youth leader of the Vote16DC campaign. He has been involved in advocating for a 16-year-old lower voting age since summer 2018.

Tiffany Missembe

Washington, D.C.

Bio

Tiffany is a 16-year-old high school junior and a youth leader in the Vote16DC and Vote16USA campaigns. She joined Vote16 through her job with the Young Women’s Project, a local organization that builds the leadership and power of young people in DC. She has spent the past several months meeting with councilmembers, committees, media outlets, and peers about Vote16. She will continue advocating for this issue until 16-year-old voting becomes the law, and is very proud to be a leader of this cause.